The Greenville times., 1887-03-12

SATURDAY.. MARCH Il, 1857.
SOUTH SEA IMAGES
CiranHe Relies Pound On the fo1AP
and Easter Islands

clrahHe Relies Pound On the FoaAPe
and Easter Islands
The success Of ono Of our mon-of-War
IN securing ono Of the above images
from Easter Island for the Smithsonian
Institute has given fresh interest to tho
peculiar remains on this little
Island on the coast Of Chile
The origin Of those inn
ages has been the puzzle Of savants for
years, but il is only recently that It has
been discovered that similar erections
exist upon the Island Of Ponape. or As.
rension. one Of the Caroline group. sit-
ua,ed in north latitude 6 deg. SO min.
and east longitude l58 deg. "a min. in
the Pacific Ocean. But little Is known
to the general public regarding islands
on the Pacific out Of the beaten track
Of voyageurs. The whalemen. how
ever, that pursue the largo cetaeean
known as the sperm variety. in the
tropical seas, visit those delightful
hooks to replenish their stock Of proyis-
ions and to lay in o store Of
fruits, pigs, and other proyerder.
before proceeding on their Arctic
cruise. The lazy life that
the islanders lead. the eneryating eli.
mate and desire to escape tho work
on board ship, have been tho causes Of
many sailors deserting at the points
touched. Lu.oa by Tho dark eyes and
graceful forms Of the dusky island
women, they remain and lead Q dolce
far nieate life. Upon many Of the
Islands that dot tho vast Pacific, these
''beaeh-conibers" arc to be found. every
Jack his Jill and host Of children
around him.
The Caroline group Of islands belong
TO Spain, but as Is characteristic Of tho
Spanish, nothing has been done in the
way of exploration, and little Is known
OF them, except by traders or whalers
Guam Is the port. but at the islands cf
Saipan and Ponapo whalors stop to ro-
cruit Prom information obtained by
a representative from one Of the whal-
ing captains the following account Of
tho ancient ruins, situated upon Po.
nape, was obtained;
''Iho beach Of glistoning whlte sand
and coral remains has . growth Of
rank grass, reaching almost to tho
water line. Dense groves Of palm.
cocoanut and cloth trees surround tho
village Of huts. through which tho
pathway TO the ruins runs. Over
basaltic rocks and volcanic debris, inter.
mingled with obsidian, visitors arp
forced to climb, until a distance Of over
ton miles from tho shore was reached.
surrounded by thiokot Of palms and
o species Of bamboo. series Of vast
terraces Of stone rise, step by stop, up
the hillside. Those terraces aro prob
ably hundred yards In length and
vary from twenty TO thirty feet In
width The size Of these terraces Is In
significant whom tho topmost structure
Is reached.
A wall Of whltish stone rises at the
summit nearly thirty feet high and
forming an irregular rectanglo. Tho
stones composing the wall arc from five
10 SIX feet in length and
eight To ton foet thick. each stone
several tons. Although
the sides Of these gigantic stones aro
perfectly smooth and Of nearly equal
proportions, there is not tho faintest
sign Of q chisol mark. No cement has
boon used to lay them In position and
gaps occur at intervals. At tho single
gateway, or entrance, stand two stone
monoliths over thirty feet high, each
having at the top an immense bowl
Passing through tho entrance q stone
altar is 10 be seen In the centor OF tho
Enclosure This altar Is also composed |
of stone, but the texture seems to differ
from that used TO build tho wall, al
though similar In color. Two flights Of
stops surround this elevation, which
has on immense troo growing In the
ccnter. In its growth the trco has dis
placed tho hugo stones Of tho altar and
the north side is now out Of Its level.
Parasitical vines and underground run
over the walls through tho crevices and
hang in graceful fcstoons from the
branches Of the trees. Alarmed at
mans approach beautiful golden groom
lizards, with backs glistening In tho
bright sunlight, dart to and fro through
The brush, but no venomous reptiles arc
found.
BY what race these buildings were
constructed is mystery. The natives
do not know; neither have they any
tradition regarding thom. To moyo
such cyclopean stones must have ro-
CURED immense labor and appliances,
and unless the progenitors Of the pres
ont race Of natives were possessed of
knowledge Of tho mechanical arts Il Ia
difficult to imagine who were tho build.
ers. Similar gigantic ruins and i'm.
ages are known to exist In the Pacific
islands only on Easter Island. Tho
origin Of these structures Is surrounded
with mystery and archeologists attrib-
nto their raising to forgotten race.
Among the rice and yam fields on
saipan island may be seen monoliths
with bowls on their tops, but of small
Tho natives call these
stones oadceS and state that their uses
are for landmarks.
The only recorded visit to Ponape by
any scientific individuals was in 1866,
when the Austrian frigatc Novara
called at the island. Other than this